Deakin NASCOM connections

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An overview of NASCOM – The NASA Communications network for Apollo 11. From a Goddard diagram, with colour added by Hamish Lindsay.

(These maps are also on the NASCOM page.)

NASCOM, December 1971. This December 1971 schematic of NASCOM shows the amazing global spread of the network. Large, Larger (5MB). Preserved by Joe Gormly (Deakin NASCOM Switch), Scanned and assembled by Colin Mackellar.

NASCOM Australian segment, December 1971. This excerpt from the December 1971 schematic above shows just the Australian segment. Red explanatory labels added. Click the image for a 3.2MB PDF file. Anotated by Colin Mackellar.

 

Mike Dinn writes:

“Three letter codes were used for the network stations, and other NASA elements connected to NASCOM (which I think was every facility including JPL and DSN) headquartered at Goddard, Maryland.

Add one letter in front – G for Goddard, J JPL, M Houston, H Huntsville, K Kennedy, A for Australia, L for (the original) London switching centre for Madrid and Jo’burg – and that was the teletype address.

ACRO was Carnarvon, ACSW was Canberra Switching center (Deakin). The US stations were usually G, because Goddard was responsible for them – eg GGWM, GHAW, GBDA.

Honeysuckle was initially known on the manned flight net as “Canberra” code CNB and the teletype address was ACNB but when anybody called down the line for “Canberra” our Canberra Switch [Deakin] would often respond. So the name was changed to Honeysuckle, HSK and address AHSK.”